Posted on 05/06/2003 8:29:04 PM PDT by ForOurFuture
Colburn seeking seat of Gilchrest in Congress
State senator from Shore to challenge 1st District incumbent for GOP nod
Associated Press
Originally published May 6, 2003
CAMBRIDGE -- State Sen. Richard F. Colburn announced yesterday that he will challenge Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest for the Republican nomination in the 1st Congressional District, saying the district needs a conservative who will fight for jobs.
"My decision to run for Congress is based on the overriding need for the citizens for the 1st Congressional District to be represented by a conservative," Colburn said.
Colburn, a former town manager in Federalsburg, said he would push for worker-training programs to "help jump-start our economy, reduce unemployment and job displacement."
(Excerpt) Read more at sunspot.net ...
This will be different. Colburn is an established, popular Eastern Shore senator, and as evidenced by his statement, has a feeling for local politics and will be able to use it to his advantage.
Yup, Alan Keyes ran there for Senator against both of the current cretins, in 1988 & 1992 (losing by huge margins, alas).
"Gilchrest would probably lose to Mikulski, but he'd have a better chance than most, since he should pile up huge margins in the Eastern Shore and should do well in South Maryland (which he represented before 1992)."
I was reading something that explained when redistricting occurred in '92 (2 years after Gilchrest knocked off the troubled incumbent 'Rat Roy Dyson) that then-Gov. William Donald Schaefer (now the State Comptroller) had those districts in the East redistricted in an attempt to beat Gilchrest, calling the heavily-GOP area a "shithouse." His comments helped push Gilchrest to a 2nd term over favored 'Rat Rep. Tom McMillen (who had his district merged).
"And getting him out of the House would be a win-win for us. I had a similar idea in Connecticut, where I think we should encourage Chris Shays to take on Chris Dodd. If Shays pulls off the upset, it would be a marked improvement over the Communist Dodd, and even if he doesn't it will get rid of Shays once and for all and allow us to elect a real Republican in what is the most Republican district in Connecticut."
Yeah, we talked about that before, but my concern now in CT is Gov. Rowland's astronomically high negatives that could adversely effect our holding that seat.
"Is Roscoe Bartlett retiring from the House? I heard conservative state Senator Alex Mooney (R-Frederick) is interested in running in the district. If elected, Mooney would be the fourth Cuban-American Republican in the House."
I've not heard any such rumblings from Bartlett, but he turns 77 next month (the oldest member in the delegation), and you have to wonder how much longer he'll want to serve, but as far as I know, I believe he enjoys serving in the majority. Is Mooney the one I've heard about who sends the liberals into fits and has been heavily targeted for defeat ? If he's the one, he'd be a perfect successor to Bartlett ! :-)
"BTW, are we going to run a serious challenge to Ben Cardin? His district is much less Democratic than before (Gore got 63% in the old district but would have gotten 57% with the new lines), and is now no more Democratic than the state as a whole. I have to assume that Governor Ehrlich carried the district in 2002, and if suburban voters swing back to the GOP because of national security and terrorism concerns, I think Bush has a solid chance of carrying the district in 2004."
My gut says no. Cardin is VERY popular in his district, and has been touted for statewide office (although I think he may have waited too long, especially on the Governorship, for which he probably could've had the nomination last year over the troubled KKT. A similar mistake was made in MA by Marty Meehan, who probably could've won the Governorship there, too). We'll probably have to wait until Cardin retires before we have a shot at it.
"Other districts to keep an eye out for is Hoyer's district in South Maryland, and, of course, Ruppersberger's district (whre Helen Delich Bentley got 45% last time and where Cal Ripken would get over 60% if he ran as a Republican). I think Glendening got a bit too greedy with redistricting by trying to win 6 seats while keeping most of Montgomery County in one district and keeping the Eastern Shore whole---had he split up Montco into two districts and placed the southern Eastern Shore counties in Hoeyer's district, the two Montco districts and each of Hoyer's and Cardin's district could have had over 60% Democratic performance and still make it impossible for Morella to win re-election. But that wouldn't have created a district for poor widdle Dutch Ruppersberger, and so they went with a plan that ended up working in 2002 but gives us several takeover opportunities in 2004 and 2006."
Hoyer's was a potential pick-up opportunity in the '90s when he represented a more marginal district (unlike what he represented in the '80s which mostly went to Al Wynn after '92), but I think it may still be out of reach. It's hard to handicap Ruppie at this point, since I don't know how much of a bang-up job he'll do representing a big chunk of Ehrlich's old balliwick. I had hopes Helen Bentley would've retained the seat for us, but at almost 80 making a comeback, she was just too damn old. As for Morella, well, I didn't really weep at her loss. I think even the constituents in that district reached the point where they had to ask themselves if they wanted to keep voting for an "R" that empowered Conservatives, even if she voted with the 'Rats. The fact she held it as long as she did was a testament to her personal connection with the district. I think it also demonstrates the perils of going too far to elect an "R" in a hostile district which does nothing to forward the agenda of the party they represent. She wasn't even a solid vote on an "R" Speaker.
Yes. Not only is he likely the most conservative member of the Maryland Senate, but he's also very activist and aggressive.
If he's the one, he'd be a perfect successor to Bartlett ! :-)
The seat is his. Before his Senate election he was an aide to Bartlett and served as a legislative analyst for the GOP Conference Committee, so he'll get the nomination easily, and from there it's a cakewalk. Conservatives will lose a great ally in the Maryland legislature, however.
"Yes. Not only is he likely the most conservative member of the Maryland Senate, but he's also very activist and aggressive."
"The seat is his. Before his Senate election he was an aide to Bartlett and served as a legislative analyst for the GOP Conference Committee, so he'll get the nomination easily, and from there it's a cakewalk. Conservatives will lose a great ally in the Maryland legislature, however."
Yeah, the latter can be a problem. We had a similar "thorn-in-the-ass" to the 'Rats and our ex-RINO Governor, a State Senator named Marsha Blackburn, here in TN. She helped tip off the rally that was held at the State Capitol when the illegitimate 'Rat majority tried to ramrod an illegal State Income Tax down our throats, which put the fear of God into these jackasses. When Rep. Ed Bryant ran unsuccessfully for the GOP Senate nod, Blackburn won his House seat. The problem is now she's all but vanished off the radar screen as just another Conservative GOP member. She was far more valuable remaining in the legislature (where she could've used it as a perch to run for Governor). Of course, in the case of MD, statewide office for an unapologetic Conservative is far tougher, so Congress would be the only logical choice for Sen. Mooney.
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